Track-sanding device.



No. 691,993. 4 Patented 1an. 28, y1902.

J. H. WATTERS.

TRACK SANDING DEVICE.

(Application led Aug. 14, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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I 8 awww: i W'mmm" 6 i /v 6% @M M y@ N N NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-IN HENRY WATTERS, Oh ANNISTON, ALABAMA.

TRACK-SANDING DEVICE.

SEECIFICATON formingpart of Letters Patent No. 691,993, dated January 28, 1902. Application tiled August 14, 1901. Serial No. 72,075. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern/.-V l

Beit known that I,JoHN HENRY WATTEES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anniston, in the county of Calhoun and State ot' Alabama, have inventeda new and useful Track-Sanding Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in track-sanding devices, and has for its principal object to construct a device of this character which may be used for sanding the rails bothin front and in rear of the locomotive driving-wheels.

A further object of the invention is to ren` der the device adjustable, so as to feed any desired quantity of sand; and to so construct it as to rend-er it capable of use both as a gravity and jet feed.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the reduction of the strength of the air-blast when feeding under air-pressure in order to avoid the destructive properties ofV the resultant sand-blast.

A further object is to construct a device which may be attached to any sand-box having either one or two feed-openings and to enable it to be attached to either side of the locomotive without any change or alteration in construction.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction hereinafter more particularly described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and

particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a track-sandingdevice constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing a modification in which one of the air-jets and the inner tube are removed for the purpose of enabling the device to feed by gravity from a single sand-box connection. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the removable inner tube.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various igure's of the drawings.

1 designates a box or casing approximately rectangular in general contour and preferably formed of a single piece of cast metal cored wrongly placed-in position.

supplied withfbut one connecting feed-pipe l the opening 3 will be closed by a plug 5 and -the feed-pipe connected with the threaded openinge. Immediately below and in the same 'vertical plane with the opening 3 is a threaded opening 6, from which leads a discharge-pipe 7 of any suitable length and adapted to convey the sand to a point immediately in front of one of the locomotive driving-wheels. At a point above the threads of the opening 6 is an annular seat 8, in which may be placed one end of a removable tube 9, the opposite ends of which are of corresponding size and shape, so that either end may be seated without danger of its being The inner tube 9 may be removed when necessary by unscrewing the plug 5 and drawing the tube out through the opening 3. Extending around the inner tube 9 is a chamber-formed by an enlargement of the chamber 2 at this point, and

between this chamber and the opening 4: the

area of the main chamber is reduced and the lower wall thereof is inclined, as at 10, in order not to retard theflow of the sand toward the opening 6.

At one end of the box or casing, at a point under the feed-opening 4, is a horizontally-disposed air-nozzle ll, adapted to a threaded opening 12, which will permit of the adjustmentof the nozzle to a greater or less distance within the chamber 2, and thus increase or decrease the area of 'sand exposed to its action. The nozzle when adjusted is locked in place by a nut 13. 1

It has been found that where a jet of air is forced through a contracted nozzleinto a sandchamber a cutting sandblast is formed, which quickly wears away the inner walls of the chamber or such other parts against which its force may be directed, and to overcome this difficulty I counterbore the end of the nozzle, so as to form an enlarged chamber 14, in which the air after passing the contracted opening 15 may expand to an extent sucient IOO to partly destroy its direct force, the chamber being suflciently long to permit a quite considerable degree of expansion of the air before admitting it to the sand-chamber.

The center of the nozzle 11 is in a plane slightly above the upper end of the removable tube 9, and the air-blast will act on the body of the sand beyond the end of the nozzle and will force Ithe sand over to the upper open mouth of the tube, from whence it falls by gravity through the discharge-pipe 7. The angle of rest assumed by the sand fed through the pipe 4 will be approximately that shown by the dotted 'line 17, and by adjusting the air-nozzle 11 to a greater or less distance within the chamber 2 the quantity of sand exposed to its action maybe governed to any desired extent.

Should the air fail and a gravity-feed be desired, the tube 9 is removed, and the sand will iiow by gravity from the opening 4 out through the discharge-pipe 7, or the sandfeed pipe leading from the sand-box may be connected directly to the opening 3 and permit of a straight vertical flow of the sand through opening Sand pipe 7. The air tube or nozzle 11 may under some circumstances be entirely removed and the opening 12 closed by a plug 18, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to provide for a sand-feed to the rear of a driving-wheel, one end of the casing 1, preferably at a point immediately under the air-nozzle 11, is made in the form of an ej ector-nozzle 20, extended out from the body of the casing for a distance suflicient to permit the sand to flow into such nozzle without discharging by gravity therefrom.

Arranged concentrically with the nozzle 2O is an air-nozzle 21, screwed into an opening in the casing and adapted to convey a blast of air through the ejector-nozzle and by the creation of partial vacuum at this point induce the iow of sand from the chamber. The air-nozzle opening has a vertical portion 22, provided with a threaded opening in the bottom of the box or casing for the reception of an air-supply pipe 23, the location of the opening in the bottom of the box or casing permitting of the attachment of the air-tube on either side of the locomotive, and so avoiding the necessity of making right and left handed castings, such as would otherwise be required if the nozzle connection were arranged on the side of the casing.

In the bottom of the box or casing 1 and in Vertical alinement with the feed-opening 4 is a threaded opening 25, adapted to be closed by a removable plug 26, so that in the event of any clogging of the sand the removal of the plug will permit access to this portion of the box or casing.

With a device constructed as herein shown and described connections may be made with any existing type of sand-box and any desired feed may be had, either by gravity or under the influence of an air-j et, while owin g to the arrangement of the threaded openings access may be had to all portions of the interior chamber for the removal of any sand or gravel which may cake therein.

The device is at all times under the control of the engineer, and sand may be directed therefrom either to the front or to the rear of the driving-wheels, as may be required.

Various changes may be made in the structure herein described Within the scope of the claims without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having sand inlet and outlet openings, and an air-nozzle having a contracted neck and an enlarged dischargeopening.

2.4 -A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having sand inlet and outlet openings, and an air-nozzle having at its discharge end an elongated expansionchamber.

3. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having sand inlet and outlet openings, and an air-nozzle adjustable lon-l gitudinally within said box or casing to reduce or increase the Volume of sand exposed to its action.

4. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having at its top two openings for feed-pipe connections, and a bottom discharge-opening in vertical alinement with one of said openings, said bottom opening being arranged within the angle of rest of sand entering through the top opening with which it is not in alinement, a removable dischargetube removably seated at the mouth of the discharge-opening,and an air-nozzle arranged within the box or casing in a plane above the mouth of said discharge-tube.

5. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having an inlet-opening and a lower discharge-opening, a reversible double-ended tube having its opposite ,ends contracted in similar manner and adapted to a seat in the mouth of the discharge-opening, whereby either end of the tube may be seated without alteration in the height of the inlet-mouth of the tube.

6. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having inlet and discharge openings, a removable tube seated in the mouth of the discharge-opening, and an airnozzle carried by the casing and adjustable from and toward said tube.

7. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having inlet and discharge openings, a removable tube seated in the mouth of the discharge-opening, an air-nozzle carried by the casing at a point above the inlet end of said tube and adjustable from and toward said tube, and means for locking said nozzle in adj usted position.

S. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having an inlet-opening,

a discharge-opening arranged in the bottom of the same, a second horizontally-arranged discharge-opening, and an air jet or nozzle arranged concentrieall y of said horizontally-disposed opening.

9. A device of the class specified, comprising a box or casing having at its top two openings for feed-pipe connections, and a bottom discharge-opening in vertical alinement with one of the upper openings, a horizontally-disposed discharge-opening arranged in one of the vertical Walls of the box or casing and an .air-nozzle arranged concentric of the horizontal opening. 

